A Local-State Government Spatial Data Sharing Partnership

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Chapter 7 – Model Development and Discussion
development of a shared goal and vision would be critical to the early stage development
of such a partnership. As identified in the state-local partnerships investigated, adequate
funding can greatly assist in the partnership formulation processes. In the case of state-
federal partnerships a significant financial contribution to the partnership formulation
would most probably come from the federal government. Unlike local governments in
Australia, the state governments wield substantial authority and power. It is therefore
essential that good governance arrangements are established early in the partnership
process to represent all stakeholders, establish clear policies on information access and
define the strategic direction of the partnership. Partnership management would also be
considered to be of high importance.
7.6.2 Application to Intra-Jurisdictional Partnerships
The partnership model could also be easily adapted for data sharing within an individual
jurisdiction, such as a state government. The recent adoption of business management
principles within government has forced many agencies to re-think their strategies towards
the sharing of information across the government. The trend towards cost accounting and
recovery for the provision of information and services across government has led to a
degree of dysfunctional behaviour and a general reluctance towards data sharing.
It is expected that greater emphasis may need to be placed on the sub-components of
Partnership Strategy and Formulation, Business Rules and Responsibilities, and Data
Exchange and Maintenance. Partnerships between government agencies should focus on
service delivery, have a strong project leader, define clear goals and be outcome driven.
Working across government agencies it is often easy to operate on an informal basis
without the need for formal agreements or contracts. However, this can frequently lead to
confusion over the responsibilities of each partner in the data sharing process. Therefore,
it is important to maintain business formality and implement the delivery or exchange
through a mechanism such as a Service Level Agreement (SLA). This style of agreement
has become common within large businesses and government.
7.6.3 Government-Private Data Sharing Partnerships
With the continuing trend to privatise many areas of traditional government service and
infrastructure such as communication, transport, health and water, it is inevitable that some
areas of traditional spatial information capture or management will be undertaken by the
private sector. This is already happening in Australia, Canada, USA, UK and Europe.
Many public-private partnerships are emerging around the world which build infrastructure
such as roads, health systems and communication networks. The level of risk taken by